"If
you win," she had said, "you can take me right now, but if I win, you
leave."

It was unprecedented and he was taken aback but she had
battered her eye lashes and smiled her special smile that made the dimples in her cheeks
appear even deeper and cuter than they normally were, and of course he had relented.
She played the game of her life that day, and won. The following year he returned and
again she had been the winner. The third time he visited, she hadn't been quick enough and
he saw her slip the card from her sleeve. He never mentioned it and since then, once every
year for the past fifty years, he had returned to her, played the game and let her win.

Elsie-May felt the cool touch of his fingers on
her cheek. Her eyes twinkled and she turned her head to him, smiling. "Than."
Quickly the corners of her mouth dropped, her brow furrowed and her eyes closed to a slit.
"You're late," she declared. "I bin waiting here in this chair for the last
two hours, I coulda bin asleep in bed by now."

"I'm
sorry Elsie," Than replied, "it's been a busy night."

The gleam returned, "Forgiven." she said, "Now
come round front and let me look at you. Haven't changed a bit have you? Still as bony as
hell, whyn't ya put some meat on them bones and while you're at it how about changing that
silly ol' outfit. Black capes went out centuries ago."

Than smiled inwardly, Elsie-May had never been one to mince
her words. "You know I've always been this way Elsie, and I have no intention of
changing now."

"You're as beautiful as you always were," Than
assured her. "Beauty is deeper than the flesh, it comes from the spirit and yours is
the brightest I've ever seen."

"Aw quit yer flattering Than, you're embarrassing me.
C'mon lets play, the cards are on the table." Than picked up the cards and moved the
coffee table closer to her. He sat on the floor on the other side of it, facing her and
they began.

The game was quick and for the first time in the last half a
century he won. He looked at her and she shrugged. "Congratulations my friend,"
she said, "you finally get what you bin waiting for all them years."

"Why Elsie, why?"

"Whatya mean why? You won fair'n square."

"I know I did, I mean why did you let me win, why didn't
you cheat this time?"

Her eyes turned into saucers, "You knew?" she
demanded, "how long have yer known?"

"Since our third meeting." he replied.

"But you never said...why?"

Than stood and looked down at her, "Elsie, my existence
is lonely. You're the only real friend I've ever had. I guess I came to realise that if I
won the game I'd lose what we have and I didn't want to lose you, Elsie-May Brown."

Elsie-May looked up at him. In all the years she'd never seen
his gaunt, bone-white skull-like face show any expression, but now, even though his face
remained stony, his words seemed to cast a warmth over his features.

"All these years I thought I was cheating Death and all the time
Death was allowin' me to live. Yer a sly one Thanatos," she said, using his full
name, "thank you for allowin' me to live longer than I was destined to." She
smiled absently. "Funny, ain't it, here I am, finally ready to face the great beyond
and you don't want me to go."

"You don't have to," he replied. "I can give
you a few more years."

"Nah Than, there's nuttin' left for me here anymore. I
got aches upon me aches, I don't get out much anymore. I guess I'm just lonely too. Better
I go now while me mind's still as sharp as a tack. Another five years and who knows? I
could end up a dotty ol' fool like old Betty Johnston up the street." A tear ran down
her cheek. "What's it like Than, what's death like?"

Thanatos sighed, "I don't know what death's like Elsie,
I know that sounds strange, but I really don't. I am Death, I cause death, or as I prefer
to put it...I help people make the transition from this life to the next, but I can't die
myself. I'm a pit-stop on a journey that only mortals can take."

Elsie appeared to be deep in thought, she was chewing on her
bottom lip, pondering.

"Elsie, are you listening to me? Elsie!" Thanatos
nudged her, his icy, skeletal fingers making her jump.

"Sorry Than, I was jus' thinkin'."

"About what?"

"Well, I know your looks never scared me but then I've
never really bin the scaring type. But I can jus' imagine some poor thing being confronted
by the sight of you jus' before dyin'. Heck, I'll be frank with ya Than, you're a walkin',
talkin' skeleton in a black cape and hood. Sheez I bet yer scare the wits out of most
people, 'specially the little 'uns."

Thanatos nodded, "Not everyone is able to perceive me,
but those who do, well yes I think the sight of me does terrify them." Her eyes were
twinkling again and Thanatos knew something was afoot. "Ok Elsie, out with it, what's
going on in that cunning little mind of yours?"

"A partnership, me and you!"

"What?"

"A partnership. I'll be like your sidekick, like Batman
and Robin, Superman and Lois...Thanatos and Elsie! I'll help yer. My mug won't scare them
half as much as yours does an' we'll be company for each other. I'll have no more aches 'n
pains, heck we'll have a blast!"

"Elsie, I don't know. I've never had a partner before, I
don't even know if it's allowed."

"Oh stop yer yaking Than. You broke the rules when you
met me an let me live and it's not like HE," she raised her eyes towards the heavens,
"has come down on ya for that, is it?"

He mulled it over for a few seconds and then
nodded. "I suppose you're right," he said, "and if not...well I guess we'll
find out won't we?"

Elsie was positively shaking with excitement. "That's
the way Than my boy, take a chance."

Thanatos waited while Elsie penned a short
goodbye note to her neighbour and washed a couple of cups, then he reached in and removed
her soul from her body.

Thanatos
held out his bony hand and Elsie grasped it. "You're on a new level of consciousness
now Elsie," Thanatos said as they walked through the walls of her home and out into
the street. Elsie stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw dropped.

"She-eet, talk about a horse of a different
colour," she breathed, "that's gotta be the biggest darn horse I ever seen.
where'd it come from?"

"He's mine," Thanatos replied, "that's how I
travel."

"Not anymore!" said Elsie. "There's no way I'm
gettin' on that horse, Than. When I was a young 'un one of them things kicked me in the
behind, sent me flying it did. I don't like em."

Elsie though for a second and then smiled that mischievous
smile. "You know, Than, I've always fancied myself riding in one of them little side
cars that attach to a motor bike, a Harley or sometin' like that, and heck, if the
colour's so important we could always find a nice pale one."

"Elsie!"

"Well how 'bout at least fixing a carriage to the back
of him."

"El-ss-ie!"

"Oh Than, stop being such a stick in the mud, times are a
changing," she paused and looked him up and down, "and while we're on the
subject of change, maybe we could do somethin' with that outfit of yours."

Thanatos sighed, "Old Woman," he said, "I can
see that eternity is going to be quite interesting indeed!"

Elsie as a Young Woman (Elsie, Elsie2 and Elsie4)
and Elsie as an Old Woman (Elsie 5) were drawn by me so I guess the copyright is mine!

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